Operation 'Freedom Returned'

Every year HSI is forced to reject many important projects because of lack of funds. There are so many animals in need and although we would like to help them all there are many times we just don' t have the resources. But we now have an opportunity to save some highly endangered cheetah cubs and we cannot turn our back on their need.

Near the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa, there are three rescued baby cheetahs anticipating relocation to SanWild where they will finally find a safe haven. Two adult cheetahs were taken from the wild for illegal hunting and soon after their capture the female gave birth to four cubs. One of the cubs died and the other cheetahs were put up for sale. The cubs were only 1 week old and their eyes had not even opened.

SanWild approached us immediately and asked if we could raise the money to bid on the cheetahs at auction. While we were considering this option we were notified that the Conservation Department had launched an investigation and confiscated the cheetahs. They put the cubs back with their mum and fortunately she accepted them and started feeding immediately.

SanWild has now been given the opportunity to have the entire family sent to them for release in exchange for accepting the financial responsibility for their upkeep. However, before the cheetahs can be released into the sanctuary, the 42 kms of perimeter fences need to be upgraded to ensure that they can be released into the 15,000 acre safe haven where they can live a wild existence. This will also provide an area where other large predator species can be released.

These young cheetahs now simply await your help!

Despite the country' s excellent conservation track record many years ago, it has recently gained the reputation as the ' bad boy'  of conservation within the international environment community. This unfortunate reputation has been gained because of the lack of effective conservation law enforcement, but also because of the ongoing commercial killing of southern Africa' s large predators ' “ an issue that has now thoroughly shamed South Africa around the world.

The infamous ' canned lion hunting'  industry, in which the country has allowed large predators to be bred for hunting purposes, resulted in massive international campaigning and condemnation. Despite past victories, such as your generous help in early 2007, which saved the ' Royal Pride'  of lions from a canned hunt, and placed them safely into the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary, this industry continues.

While the first rescue steps have been taken, they cannot be given a safe home in SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary until the remaining 12 kilometres of perimeter fence has been erected and a temporary holding camp for the cheetahs has been built ' “ both of which will assure their safety - but that is where you come in!

SanWild' s 15,000 acres of prime protected wildlife habitat available to the cheetahs and we need to raise sufficient funding to build new and upgrade existing perimeter fences at the sanctuary - to ensure that these beautiful predators can be kept safely inside where they can be free and build a new home for themselves in an area large enough to allow them to live as wild cheetahs.

These planned releases are both compassionate actions and exciting conservation initiatives, and will help establish successful rehabilitation, re-introduction and release techniques and protocols for future predator release programs in other areas of Africa.

We emphatically urge you to join us at HSI and the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary, in providing the final helping hand to these incredibly precious creatures. By generously contributing to this rescue program, you will both be protecting the individual lives of these priceless young animals, while at the same time establishing a virtually bullet-proof wildlife sanctuary for many thousand of other diminishing African animals.

WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK TO THE WILD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!
PLEASE HELP US SECURE THEIR FUTURE.